World Rocket Launch Pads

Nearby Hotels and Vacation Rentals

World Rocket Launch Schedule

World rocket launch pads. This is the best source of scheduled rocket launches by month and launch location and includes all launches scheduled throughout the world for 2023 into 2024.

The schedule is constantly updated and includes notes about the launch and explanations of any delays from original dates. Schedules by specific launch sites such as Kennedy Space Center are available at those sites.

Lodging Near Launch Sites

NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX

While not a launch site, the Johnson Space Center controls all space flights for the NASA launches. That includes all space capsules that travel to the International Space Center aboard SpaceX and Boeing rockets and United Launch Alliance launches.

Kennedy Space Center in Florida

The Kennedy Space Center encompasses launches from the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) which is adjacent. The private launches such as SpaceX and Blue Origin launch from KSC while NASA based launches such as United Launch Alliance (ULA) are launched from CCSFS. All of the launch sites are along the barrier island east of the main campus.

SpaceX performs launches on behalf of private companies, foreign nations, and NASA on a contract basis. SpaceX is approved for manned spacecraft and has launched one mission and getting ready to launch a second in April 2021.

Starbase SpaceX Facility in Boca Chica, Texas

This facility is located in a remote area of Texas near the Mexican border and on the coast of the Golf of Mexico. Starbase, as the facility is called by Elon Musk, is owned by SpaceX and does not permit visitors. Launches however can be viewed from along the Boca Chica public beach. Hotels near Boca Chica, TX

Public Beach at Boca Chica, Texas

Boca Chica is always open. Its a 23 mile drive heading east on Texas Highway 4 from Brownsville and the road ends at the beach. There are no services at the beach, so you should bring your own food and water. Camping is not permitted.

Corn Ranch Blue Origin Launch Site near Van Horn, TX.

Located near Van Horn, TX in the southwest corner of the Lone Star State, about 120 miles southeast from El Paso, TX. This huge ranch, owned by Jeff Bezos, is the site for launching the Shepard Project space passenger program. This is a private area and no tours are available.

Spaceport America Virgin Galactic Launch Site near Truth or Consequences, NM

Spaceport America is the hub of the Virgin Galactic passenger space venture designed to let members of the public fly into space. This private enterprise operation allows the public to purchase tickets for a suborbital flight into space aboard an airplane like space vehicle.

Vandenberg SFB in California

Vandenberg Space Force Base is an active-duty military installation, as well as a spaceport and test range. It provides launch, landing, and range capabilities to the nation. The 30th Space Wing Public Affairs hosts a monthly windshield tour of portions of Vandenberg Space Force Base, highlighting its missions and military life. Monthly tours are on the third Tuesday of each month at 1:00 p.m.

Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, Wallops Island, Virginia

After the Federal Aviation Administration last month granted Rocket Lab, a commercial launch company, a license to fly its small Electron rocket from the facility, Wallops could soon see a significant increase in launches as the company joins Northrop Grumman in launching from this remote site. While Rocket Lab is largely focused on national security missions, Northrop Grumman launches its Antares rocket to send a spacecraft to the International Space Station on cargo resupply missions at a rate of about two a year. Northrop also launches its Minotaur rocket from Wallops.

Pacific Spaceport Complex, Kodiak Island, Alaska

Pacific Spaceport is a dual-use commercial and military spaceport for sub-orbital and orbital launch vehicles. The facility is owned and operated by the Alaska Aerospace Corporation, a public corporation of the State of Alaska, and is located on Kodiak Island in Alaska. The spaceport opened in 1998 and as of January 1, 2022 has supported 29 launches, most of those for the U.S. government.

Launch Delays

On occasion there are launch delays caused by local weather or weather down range. Delays may also be generated by technical issues, but those are more infrequent than in the past. If you book your hotel for several days you may still be able to see a delayed launch and enjoy the local attractions while you wait.

Space Launch Sites outside of the United States

Guiana Space Center ZLV, Kourou, French Guiana

The Guiana Space Center is a facility used by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the French government to launch satellites into space. The ESA contributes two-thirds of the spaceport's annual budget and the spaceport has also been used for launches for the United States, Japan, Canada, India and Brazil, among other countries.

Check the Worldwide Rocket Launch Schedule for launch dates. Hotels near Kourou, French Guiana.

Vostochny Cosmodrome, Russia

Operated by Russian Space Agency, this is a Russian spaceport (still partly under construction) above the 51st parallel north in the Amur Oblast, in the Russian Far East. It is intended to reduce Russia 's dependency on the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Since its inception, there have been six launches from this spaceport. It is intended that the majority of launches will be moved from Baikonur to this location.

The nearby train station is Ledyanaya and the nearest city is Tsiolkovsky. Hotels near Tsiolkovsky in Dzershinsk.

Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan

Operated by Russian Space Agency, this is the launch site for the majority of Soyuz rockets that carry all manned cosmonauts capsules and many supply to the International Space Station (ISS.) Russia will lease this site from Kazakhstan until 2050, but the Russians want to move most of the launch activity to Russia over the next few years.

China National Space Administration

China currently has four launch sites - three inland and one on the southern island of Hainan known as Wenchang. Hotels Near Wenchang, China

Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center

Hotels Near Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert. This site China is being used to launch personnel to the new Tiangong Space Station it launched in 2021 as well as various satellites used for communication purposes.

Launch Site 5

China has started construction on a fifth rocket launch center in the county of Xiangshan, or “Elephant Hill”. This site will be used to launch heavy rockets to the moon and Mars. From this site China placed a space station in Orbit in 2021 that will be enhanced with additional modules over the next two years.

Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota, India

The SDSC has two operational orbital launch pads. SHAR is ISRO's satellite launching base and additionally provides launch facilities for the full range of Rohini sounding rockets. The Vehicle Assembly, Static Test and Evaluation Complex and the Solid Propellant Space Booster Plant (SPROB) are located at SHAR for casting and testing solid state motors. There may be one or two launches a year from this site. Hotels near Satish Dhawan Space Center.